


A Soldier's Prayer

by Amurtinyburr12



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Fandom
Genre: Jason Grace and Percy Jackson friendship, Percy Jackson and Jason Grace bromance, a soldiers prayer, ish, its part of the soldiers prayer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:32:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2653796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amurtinyburr12/pseuds/Amurtinyburr12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last thing Jason wanted was to be trapped in the ever-changing Amazon jungle with an enemy army hard on his heels. And worse, he's stuck with the perfect and pure Percy Jackson. Jason Grace has never trusted anyone besides himself, but given the situation...he may not have a choice. And try as he might not to, Jason might just make a real friend along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sometimes Fate Intervenes

Jason barely managed to clasp onto a dangling vine to haul himself to his feet, trembling and barely conscious. His entire body felt stiff and his limbs protested as he hauled himself up. He ignored Percy's outstretched hand, his own pride getting in the way- he didn't want to show his ally how weak he was. Soldier's were not weak. He couldn't be weak. He was not weak. _I am not weak._

Jason allowed himself a moment to catch his breath, the mere act of getting to his feet draining his energy. He acted like he didn't notice the flash of hurt that played across Percy's face, but of course the other boy's expression was almost immediately replaced with concern. He looked down at the bandages covering his wound, the strips of cloth torn from disheveled remains of Percy's shirt. He could picture the gaping wound underneath, different ghastly shades of yellows and reds and purples, all steaming and blistering angrily. The only way to not concentrate on the agony, was to simply not think about it. So, the blonde disconnected himself from it, as if the injury was not on his own body. It was the only way to make him feel as if he was fine...it made the pain feel less.

Jason was grateful that Percy had gotten them away from the attack, the villagers they'd been sheltering with in the jungle had apparently double-crossed them. It all resulted in a poisoned stick going straight through Jason's chest and Percy dragging both Jason and himself into a river to get away. And yes-  _A STICK_. That's what Jason's thoughts had been, when it gutted him through, leaving him wondering if he'd somehow time traveled back into the cavemen times. Then again, poor jungle villagers wouldn't have a surplus of good weapons, so a stick may be one of their main sources. "It's a stick I guess," Jason remembered rambling to Percy when he'd been delirious from the pain. "The Macedonian's used it...a pike I think they said it was. They stabbed people with them." Jason had let out a hysterical laugh, barking psychotic _laughter_  . "They killed them! Ha!  _They killed them! Ha!"_

Percy'd practically dragged, which was still too generous of a word- lugged or heaved perhaps?-Jason's limp carcass a good few miles, even as he talked about nothing-in-particular, before collapsing inside a grove of close together rain-foresty trees to rest and regroup. Jason's only regret about the whole escapade? That the entire thing had never happened, that maybe the roles could have been reversed or never existed. He hated thinking he owed people debts, and Percy had probably saved his life. Jason didn't want to owe him that, but at the same time felt extremely guilty for wishing the pain he felt on Percy at all. Of course, it was his fault they were out here at all... and his fault for not telling Percy why.

Of course, he didn't want Percy Jackson to be out here at all. He'd requested for his only friend, and it'd taken a long time for him to get there, Leo Valdez to come with him on this mission but he'd been unavailable. "Take Percy," Chiron had suggested, not batting an eye as he left the room. Jason didn't  _want_ Percy. He'd heard all about him, his selflessness and loyalty to his friends. Jason wasn't selfish, so he wouldn't call himself a polar opposite but it was close. Jason did not match well with a guy like Percy Jackson. Besides, he couldn't be all everyone said he was. No one was that perfect.

"I cleaned your wound when you were asleep," Percy offered, interrupting Jason's thoughts, as the blonde closed his eyes, trying to refocus himself. "I'm no doctor but it looks pretty bad...our best bet would be to find civilization and get you medical attention." Jason nodded slowly, not daring to voice his own opinions aloud. They had no idea where they were, and chances of finding a doctor before Jason had an untimely departure was not likely. "We should start moving out. I saw about fifty soldiers from Romana's Army over there-" Percy pointed with his index. "2' o clock." Jason knew when Percy said 'should move' he meant _'good gods Grace hurry up and move or we'll be killed.'_ Jason took a shaky step forward, stumbling a bit before a wave of pain hit him, crashing into his senses and nearly pushing him back into the ground. It took every ounce of willpower to stay on his feet, and though he swayed he maintained his balance. And off they went, Percy insisting on taking some of Jason's weight, and ending up taking about 99% of it while Jason hugged an arm to his bleeding chest and struggled to put one foot in front of the other. "I tried to contact base...no one answered." Percy said through gasping breaths. "I think we may be on our own, it's just us out here and of course the people on a man hunt to kill us." He said this like it wasn't bad news, in the same sort of way you'd say: "The polar bears are beautifully exotic animals."

After about ten minutes of misery, Jason shook his head and dropped like a stone into the ground, his forehead burning and stomach heaving. "I'm going to go scout ahead." Percy frowned slightly, fingers brushing Jason's forehead. Jason didn't react, he knew Percy was trying to be subtle as he felt for a fever...it wasn't subtle at all but he didn't care. The hole in his chest was consuming nearly every thought, absorbing any thoughts of rejection he might have had. _Pain. Pain. Pain._ Jason did his best to settle down, lay himself out instead of curling up into the fetal position. Besides, it'd probably hurt too much to ball himself up.

The events that followed were as if they were happening to someone else, and Jason could only watch with a horrible feeling of detachment. As soon as Percy took five steps into the trees, a wire net sprang up from the ground catching Percy within its grasp and yanking him toward the sky. His ally barely managed a startled yell before the soldiers surrounded them. It happened fast- _too fast._ Jason was in another dimension, where time moved differently. Slower... he moved sluggishly and everything else resumed at normal pace. Out of the  corner of his eye he could see them, Romana soldiers dressed in faded purple, pointing sticks in his face, talking in loud voices that stung Jason's ears. _Sticks?_ He wondered in confusion as they kicked him onto his side, but the thought was cut abruptly. Agony seared through his mind once more as the soldiers kicked and punched at him. "Stop..." His voice was a raspy croak, pathetic and lame even to his ears. "A wounded soldier...you have to honor the code." A loud shot rang in the distance, but to the fallen soldier it was if it was booming right in his ear.  "We don't need to follow protocol," A hard boot dug into his ribs. "Only fools abide by the rules. And fools never win." _Of course they had guns...guns not sticks. Most armies had them...armies. He was in the army...wasn't he? Why was he here?_ Nausea washed over Jason as he struggled to concentrate. His willpower to hang on was rapidly dropping, like temperatures in Antarctica.

It was all Jason could do to achingly use his hands and knees to reach his ally, ignoring the jeers of the soldiers as he, groaning, pulled himself the distance. Percy was thrashing wildly in the trap, kicking and entangling himself worse. "Don't you touch him! _Don't you dare touch him!"_ The other boys words were threatening, and dangerous sounding enough. But there was no denying the hint of desperation that cracked through, making it hard for the other army to respect him.

 The soldiers grabbed Jason  by the collar of his shirt, dragging him away from the net that confined Percy, stabbing cruel fingers into his vulnerable wound. He screamed, he couldn't help it. Jason furiously tried to keep his lips closed. He hated his voice for betraying him...but the blackness was catching up with him. They would take Percy...because of what he'd done. Jason felt numb as more soldiers gathered, he could hear them shouting at Percy. He knew Percy well enough to know that he would try to take the fall for Jason...even if he didn't know what he'd done. There was only one option...

The blackness crept up on him, purring for him to sleep. 

He had...he had to...get.....to...had to get to Percy...


	2. Run Instead of Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy doesn't know how much longer he can hold up under the torture of the rogue Romana soldiers. Can he hold out long enough for Jason to rescue him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Readers MAY experience some discomfort about Percy's torture, but not intimate details really.  
> BS is used in this chapter. And the word dam. Both spelled and written exactly as I just wrote them.

Percy wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to hold up. The torture had gone on for what seemed like months, but of course was most likely only a few days. His internal clock was off, with no way to tell the time he felt disoriented. Percy desperately needed to sleep, he couldn't remember the feeling of blissful unconsciousness, to sink into undisturbed peace. Everytime his eyelids fluttered shut he was attacked with an image of Jason Grace screaming his name as the Romana soldiers kicked and jeered, spitting in his face. It was too hard for Percy to watch, knowing his friend was hurt because Percy ceased walking. He  _should_  have insisted they go on.  _Should_  have  _sensed_  the other soldiers. It was his fault. If he wasn't here to serve his country and be loyal to his friends and keep them safe  _why was he here?_

"Wait! Stop!" Percy had found himself yelling as soon as Grace passed out. "Leave the cadet alone, he's still in training." It was a lie of course, thank the gods Jason wasn't sporting any of his many gleaming medals or they'd have called his bluff. Not like soldiers wore medals into battle anyways.

"He's a cadet?" One of the men from the opposing side had asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He glanced over Jason's unconscious figure, probably trying to estimate an age.

"Yup. I'm the general, took him out for some training. He wandered too far out and well...stupid boy stumbled right into your territory. Naturally, we ran, but attacked by some villagers and here we are." Percy had shrugged his arms like _'kids-are-so-dense'_ because the net he'd been captured in kept his arms tightly confined to his body. He'd felt like a burrito, and not the good kind. The words that exited his mouth didn't sound convincing, to say the least.

"BS!" Another soldier had scoffed, stepping forward with a fire in his eyes, not looking a day older than Percy himself. "If you're a general where's the decor for it? That's not the point actually- you can't  _accidentally_  wander into or territory. You were on a mission. You're going to tell us what it was."

Percy had poker-faced, which was easy since he didn't know anything about their mission. No one had informed him, they said his partner would fill him in but Grace was a clam and wouldn't give information and only barked orders at Percy when he needed him. Jason suddenly sprang to life, not unconscious for as long as everyone thought, hauling himself up in the speed of light and lunging for Percy. Cold fingers wrapped themselves around Percy's leg, pressing into his skin. He collapsed with his hands around Percy before passing out again, the fire in his eyes never dying. Percy didn't miss a beat, he took hold of Jason's hands in concern... he was still a friend, at least to Percy, and there was no way he'd let anything bad happen to him. "It's okay Jason," he murmured through the netting that held him a couple feet from the ground. "It'll be okay." He wished he knew that for sure.

Percy tried to cling to that thought as his tormentors sprayed him with a hose, drenching him in water, pressing it into all the bruises, scrapes and fresh injuries they'd created. It took enormous willpower not to shout or scream, biting down on his lip to do so. Thank the gods they'd left Jason behind, deeming a cadet 'unimportant'.

Once, he nearly escaped. He had no information to give, no battle strategies to deceive but he'd still lied about his importance. Which meant the Romana army wanted answers he couldn't give even if he'd wanted to. The escape was during a bathroom break, they'd untied his hands and Percy had run for his life, sprinting as hard as he could. Through swarms of enemies, ricocheting bullets and yelling soldiers he ran. It was the fence that became his downfall, as he slung a leg up over it and one hand on the rail, a searing hot white pain wrenched itself through his mind, until all he could feel was numbness. He wanted to keep going, but his nerves were fried and his brain went on overload as his limbs spasmed uncontrollably. Now, back in the hands of his enemies Percy trembling uncontrollably, both in anger and pain, cursing himself for being too slow. Cursing himself because he needed to get back to Jason and should have known the fence was electric-  _HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN._

Every second Percy was here, Jason could by dying. The odds of Jason surviving with Percy had been slim to nonexistent...now without even someone to guide him...Percy might as well have given his obituary when they were dragging him away. And dam this was frustrating, he  _HATED_  not being able to protect his friends. He'd give anything to be with Jason right now, he would find whoever poisoned him and stick his head in a bucket of acid. That thought quenched Percy's frustration for a few moments as his tormentors turned off the water and left, catcalling him a few times but stopped when they realized Percy'd tuned them out.

After a few hours of pure solitude, the creaking of the door to his cell was enough to make him visibly wince. "We have some questions for you, general." A short stocky man entered waving a clipboard in his hands. Percy blearily looked up, eyes red from sleep deprivation. "The cadet you left behind...what was his name?"

Percy wasn't really a good liar, but he could do it. He was trained to. The first few times they asked, Percy didn't say anything, not a single word escaped his mouth which was set in a nearly permanent line of lips pressed together. Now he resorted to lies, not in fear of punishment but instead twisting the truth enough to stall time for his friends to rescue him. "John Green." Was his raspy answer, after a long moment.  

"What rank is he in the military?" Stocky Soldier asked, jotting down a note, appearing slightly disinterested.  

It took Percy another several seconds to answer, his voice hurt from disuse. "Cadet." 

"Tell us what happened to you two, how you got in our territory. You've said it was mistake but you were quite close to the location of the accident." 

And so The Lost Soldier repeated the story he'd said before, the day of his capture. They asked him, several times a day, but of course time was hard to judge. They kept persisting, hearing his story and analyzing for any mistakes or details he'd left out before. If his story wasn't the same as before, they believed they'd struck a gold mine. Percy thought he knew pain. When he joined the army at age 16, he thought he could take it. And maybe, just maybe, he could, but as he felt the pressure of bones crunching with sickening snaps, his confidence wavered, if not slightly. Taking the punishment for a friend had always been easy for Percy. Protecting the people he cared about was what he did best...and he _wasn't_ regretting his choices but looking back on his situation he wondered if it was in fact the greatest idea to lie so they wouldn't hurt Jason. He would do anything to save someone else. It all  _felt_ right...but if he wasn't so impulsive he _could_ have come up with a better plan? 

Of course, his girlfriend back in New York was the one into tactics and strategies. Percy was more of attack and  think of a plan later sort of guy, which his girlfriend insisted would get him killed one day. Maybe she was right... He thought about their last conversation. She was an undercover spy, infiltrating some high priority organization, and would be away for several months. At first he'd argued, and they'd had it out for one another for quite some time, but made up in the end. He missed her. He missed her blonde hair, her beautiful grey eyes and cleverness. Percy _longed_ to see her again, and as he choked on toxic fumes, he thought he heard her tell him to 'quit being a Seaweed Brain and hold out for Jason. I know Percy Jackson, and if there is something he is not its a  _quitter.'_  Percy begged to differ, the feeling of red hot chili's being shoved into his eyes and mouth making him tear up. _'_ Get back up Kelp Head. Run instead of walk.' His head felt light and disoriented...the throbbing  didn't help. The broken ribs didn't help. Nothing helped. More poisonous gas filled the room, faster this time, turning everything into a blurry purple blot. It filled his eyes, nose and lungs, leaving him gasping and coughing. It _hurt_ it  _stung_ and for a moment he wanted to give up. _"I want to give up."_ Until he thought about Jason... His mind was _jumbled_ and _hurting_ and _lost_... had he said that  out loud?

If anything, Percy desperately did _not_  want to think about the other boy being out there all by himself. Alone in the jungle. But Jason Grace was a revered soldier, the stuff of legends. People didn't get amazing stories told about them for nothing, right? In times of terrible danger, he was _always_ confident, unwavering and strong. Then again, Percy knew more than anyone that people had their limits. Percy wanted nothing more than to get back to his friend...that and a cheeseburger.

If Jason had come here to the base...if the Romana had learned he'd been the one to...to... _to do what?_ What was Percy unknowingly protecting him from?

It hit Percy like hurricane.

The explosion. The shouting. Jason.

The puzzle pieces fell into place. Jason Grace had detonated the Romana's home base...without telling Percy what he was doing.

Percy wasn't above disobeying the rules, he followed his gut instincts. But...destroying a base? With hundreds of soldiers and maybe innocents inside without telling his partner... that was a harsh blow. It made Percy wonder if Jason actually trusted him. He wished he'd gotten to know the guy better, but unfortunately before the stabbing incident Jason had barely muttered a word to him. _Fine,_ Percy had thought when he first noticed Jason was giving him the cold shoulder.  _Not everyone has to like me..._ Still...it was hard for Percy to admit. He pushed the thoughts away, promising himself that he would ask Jason about it later. Right now he needed to trust him. If anything had ever been a key to saving Percy's life then this was. Trust. And Jason would get him out of here.

Jason's voice followed his girlfriends, surely a trick of his mind now driving him insane: 'Keep the bug hidden Percy. I'm coming.' It was a strange order...bugs. Insects. Creepy crawlies... Percy shuddered visibly then stopped, blinking into the blankness of the room he was kept in. _What...where was he?_  Whatever this poison was, it toyed with your inner thoughts and unraveled your mind. He knew what he had to do, what was at stake. Percy clutched to his sanity as the fumes ate at his mind, pulling apart his thoughts. He didn't know what had happened or why, but Percy knew Jason needed him. And ' _keep the bug hidden_ ', Percy did. It was his last thought as he became more disoriented... and soon there was nothing left to be forgotten.


	3. Freefall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason has a lot of secrets, too many doubts and not enough time.  
> Includes:  
> -flashback to Jason's childhood  
> -Involuntarily sky-diving  
> -Piper McLean  
> -Tracking devices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is written first in Jason POV then goes to Percy POV for a short time, then back to Jason for like two sentences or so.  
> And thank you all for reading!

Jason couldn't bury his old regrets, which was why he was determined not to make any new ones. He knew he was asleep, was fully aware that Percy was in danger but something inside of him would not let him go. It was exhaustion that dragged him back into its absorbing and overpowering arms, wrestling with him so no one would hear his screams.

The instant Jason collapsed into total darkness, a scene from his childhood resurfaced. 

_Oh gods no...not right now._

He found himself standing on the road to his house, where his mom and dad and sister would be waiting inside. The little cottage beamed at him, the chimney smoking as usual and lights flickering warmly in the windows. The smell of baking goods fills the air, and dreaming Jason has to remind himself that this is not real and merely a figment of his imagination. Still, he remembers this scene as if it were yesterday. He remembers what happened, why he has no trust.

Its Christmas Day, the year 2000. Five years old when his parents abandon him.

Five Year Old Jason had been sitting by the hearth with his older sister Thalia, pushing a yarn ball back and forth while reading from the paper. "I like Christmas," Five Year Old Jason had declared happily, sitting up and shifting so his back was to the fire. The warmth of the room was undeniable, and even though the house lacked Christmas decorations or anything to do with the festivity at all, both children were content. Thalia nodded her agreement. "It's a nice day to call Christmas. Everything feels all happy." Real Jason nearly cracked a smile as he watched the scene from his past. Nearly.

Without warning, Thalia got up and went to the window, peering outside on tip-toed feet. The glass was foggy and cold, but she pressed her nose against it anyways and gave a happy squeal of delight. 

Little Jason scampered after her, but was not quite tall enough to see out the window. "What is it?" He demanded, tugging on Thalia's arm, straining his neck to get a look.

Thalia giggled and lifted her baby brother up to the window sill, using her arms and head to boost him higher. He'd never been scared of heights. It was well worth the effort to hear his gasp of joy. "It's snowing!" He yelled with reverence, tumbling from Thalia's arms and landing with his butt squarely on the floor. "It's snowing! It's snowing!" He rushed toward the fireplace, grabbing his mittens and hat, struggling to put them on. Thalia helped him with his coat and scarf before putting on her own.   
  
"Dad! Dad! Can we go outside?" She called, running toward Jupiter, their father and looking up at him with big blue eyes.

Jupiter, sat on a dusty couch in the corner of the little cottage, smoking a pipe and looking disapprovingly down at his small children. "No, you may not." He responded coldly, before resuming his smoking. A puff blew out and drifted down towards Thalia, who did her best to smother a cough. 

"I don't see why not," Jason's mom spoke up from where she stood in the kitchen, uncapping a bottle of alcohol as she did so. 

"They'll die of hypothermia," Jupiter replied, a scowl permanently etched onto his face. 

"It's Jason's last day with us, he may as well go have some fun with his sister." Mrs. Grace whispered, in a pathetic attempt to be quiet but was actually not quiet at all. 

Little Jason however had missed the entire exchange because he was already wrestling with the door handle. The latch was one of the hardest things from him to undo, and required his full attention. Thalia however never missed a detail.

Real Jason frowned, and for the second time fought hard against his vision. The flashbacks hardly ever happened, but when he did have them they were always at the most inconvenient time. He didn't want to feel the sense of abandonment again, but it was inevitable now. 

"What do you mean, 'Jason's last day with us?'" Thalia narrowed her eyes at both her parents, a look of pure rage flashing in her eyes. If looks could kill, both adults would have died on the spot. 

"Look, sweetie-" Mrs. Grace began only to be cut off by her husband. 

"You said you liked Christmas, didn't you?" Jupiter raised an eyebrow at his daughter. 

"Well yes, but I-"

"Christmas is the season of giving. And we are giving Jason away."

There was a pause, the only noise being Little Jason's hands pummeling the wooden door. 

"You can't give him away! You can't abandon Jason!" Thalia screamed, her voice cracking.

A knock on the door brought more fear into the room. Another knock.

The door flung open, and Five Year Old Jason went sprawling backwards, hitting his head against a pile of bricks that Jupiter had been planning to use for remaking the fireplace.

"Oh dear," a woman stepped into the cottage, eyes darting to the small child she'd injured.

"You must be Lupa," Mrs. Grace stepped forward, offering her hand. Lupa ignored it, instead walking over to Jason and grabbing his hand. Thalia didn't know what to do, so she kicked the woman. Jupiter got up and grabbed Thalia around the waist, holding her still. The little girl struggled furiously, yelling with all her might.

"Who...who are you?" Little Jason whimpered, yanking back his hand. Lupa's eyes flashed dangerously. "I am your trainer Jason Grace. And you..." She paused here and let her hand rest on his shoulder, "I have great plans for you." 

Lupa injected him with some sort of sedative, waiting patiently for affects to take place, then without ceremony picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. The last thing Jason saw as his vision started to go lurry was the smug look on Jupiter's face, his mother's drunken uncomprehending eyes and the wailing of Thalia, who promised to find him. 

_"He was a burden, Thalia. Listen to me, he was useless to us. Merely another mouth to feed. Now he is serving a greater purpose..."_

Real Jason wakens with broken sobs ready to be released from his quivering lips. He jerks up wildly, glancing around rapidly. His first sensation is the pain. But  _not the pain_ the  _lack of pain._

A girl looks down at him, startled for a moment before she murmurs something in a different language that Jason cannot understand. He is still in the clearing that Percy had been taken in. Except, he is not alone. Jason is an incredibly well-trained soldier, which is why he did not scream when she presses something onto his wound, whispering _shh's_  in a comforting tone. No, something was merely in the back of his throat. And if anyone asked, he would fully deny their accusation. 

The girl is pretty, with a tan complexion and stunning eyes. Jason can't help but stare at her multi-colored ones before remembering what he needed to do. "I...uh...excuse me but do you know where they took my partner?" He still refuses to say friend.

His caretaker, because that's what he's concluded she is, looks at him closely. Jason hesitantly wonders if he should make a run for it. If she were an enemy and wanted to kill him, she would have. If she were the enemy, she wouldn't waste time trying to heal him. 

"How many days was I out?" He prompts, trying for a different question. The girl still has a blank look. Jason settles for a game of charades, making slow motions and holding up numbers with his fingers and mimicking sleeping.

The girl finally laughs when he is done then says in perfect English: "You were asleep for three days." 

Jason's jaw falls open, whether to the fact that this girl can speak English or the latter that he was unconscious for three days.  _Three days_ Percy had been at the mercy of his captors. 

"I'm Piper," the girl introduces herself. "And yes, I saw where they took your friend. I followed them, but soon it was dark and I couldn't anymore." She gives him an apologetic glance before continuing. "I came back here and dressed your wound, and kept you alive. Now that your awake, we can go after your friend."

Jason sits up all the way, wincing a little bit. A small jab of pain ripples through, but nothing horrible. Not nearly as bad as before. " _We?"_ He questions, squinting his eyes at her. She's pretty, he can't deny that. The girls hair is pulled back into a simple braid and she's wearing some sort of jungle tribe garb that immediately makes him wary. 

"Yes  _we_ ," Piper replies, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I've been stranded here ever since I was seven. My dad died, and the the Graki tribe took me in. I saw the run-in you had with the Monsi tribe...and..." She glanced down, a light blush playing across her cheeks. "I followed you. Besides, I saved your life. Your welcome."

Jason takes a moment to absorb the information, struggling not to let his doubts show. Percy needs him. This girl may slow him down. He'd been conditioned for tough choices, and hard decisions. Lupa had taught him everything he knows, he'd been raised as a weapon. He'd been raised to never trust anyone, to never give up. As a spy in the army, it made things that much harder. As a spy, posing as a soldier trapped in the middle of no where... he may need help. 

"You can come," he finally says after a good minute of consideration. "You show me where you followed him and I can do the rest. Then, when we come back out of wherever it is, we  can all three escape back to our military base."   
If Piper was surprised that he was soldier, she didn't let up. Instead, she nodded and turned to walk and he followed close behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Percy is shivering and sweating at the same time. His captors stalk around him, shaking their heads in disgust.  
"Percy Jackson, 5415630." He mutters for the millionth time, eyes barely staring open as he stares up at the ceiling from where he lays on a table. The army told him to do this. When the pain got too intense, he should not relent any information. Instead, repeat name and military number until he was rescued. (They never explained what to do if they didn't get rescued...)

"Percy Jackson," One soldier snorted in a wheezy high pitched voice. "You said it was Peter Johnson about three days ago." 

_Three days?_

"Anyways, we read your file after you so generously told us your real name a few hours ago. Your not a general. We _don't_ appreciate being lied to." 

Percy doesn't answer, the still sane part of his mind dreading where this conversation would go. 

"I'm making the conclusion that your the type of guy that makes sacrifices for others. This whole scenario including your file is giving off an 'overprotective' vibe. How old are you now, Jackson?"

Percy presses his lips together. They already knew the answer to that, if they were being honest about getting his file. 

"You're twenty, right. So, do you remember about two years ago, that one horrible winter? When you stepped in front of a bullet for you pal, Underwood? Well, Underwood suffered from terminal cancer and would have been gone in a short amount of time anyways. But not before he  _begged_ you to shoot him, and resorted to trying to kill himself. He was angry you took that bullet, took his honorable way out."

  
Percy turned his head away, tears springing to his eyes.  _Of course_ he remembered. The only reason they brought it up was to make him come undone. They were playing games now that they knew he was nobody important.

"Underwood threw himself off the cliff, didn't he?" Another soldier piped up, his voice hostile and lacking sympathy. "He wanted no reason to live, but you caught him. And you both fell, without parachutes and he died but you survived the fall. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to put all the clues together. Tell me if all that isn't true, is it?" His words were a snarl, angry and persistent."Your a monster."

Flashes of Grover ran through Percy's mind. He tried to get it to stop- he thought he'd dealt with this demon months ago- but it was no use. 

_'Let me go Percy! Let me die!' Grover's face looked up at his, and he wriggled his body to get free._

_Percy clutched the branch that jutted from the cliff, barely hanging on. 'No! No Grover! I won't let you go!'_

_'Your so stubborn! You had to take that shot for me Perce! You just had to!' Grover screamed like an animal, thrashing and making it that much harder for Percy to retain his grip. 'Now I'm going to die from this cancer... do you have any idea what it was like? Going back to Juniper every day and whenever she thinks your not looking this heartbroken look crossed her face. Do you have any idea what it's like to know that in a few months you'll be leaving the only person that matters to you alone? That in a few months, you'll be gone? Do you think I wanted to deal with seeing her fake plastered on emotions for the next few months?" Grover's voice caught in his throat and tears began leaking down his cheeks. "_ _You LET ME GO or I'll...I'll shoot you! " His words were dripping with venom and insanity. 'I'll shoot you!'_

_Percy couldn't let go. He wouldn't let his best friend die, no matter how his friend saw it. He could get them medical attention. He could. Oh gods...he looked down at the drop below them. Thousands upon thousands of feet of pure nothing. He hated heights._

_'Let me go.' Grover's voice was shaky as he pulled his gun from his belt and pointed it straight at Percy._

_Percy looked back into his friend's eyes, shaking his head slowly. 'Grover this isn't you. Listen to me I-'_

_Grover shot, but his arm was quivering so badly the bullet hit the tree branch._

_A loud crack could be heard, reverberating around the air around them._

_The two fell, plummeting into the unknown depths below._

"I...it's true." The words barely left his lips, almost inaudible but he'd said them. Percy Jackson is a monster. The guilt he felt that day flooded over him, and he hadn't even lifted a finger to resist as they pulled him off the table and dragged him through the halls. Grover was his childhood best friend. Grover was gone, and it was because of him. Because he'd failed to save his life. Blurry figures flashed by him, noises that he couldn't make out anymore, and honestly doesn't care to. He's giving up.

When Percy finally came out of his grief, he blinked and realized he was inside a new room, small and black. Two chairs were in front, and he could see outside. A helicopter. "What...what's going on?" He demanded, standing up on unbalanced legs. He nearly toppled over, but managed to lean against a wall. His legs were free, but his hands were secured in front of him, immobile and helpless.

"Thought you might enjoy this," The Stocky Soldier from day one was there. "You lied to us. You're not important, and clearly have no information which means you are of no value to us alive. This is a little game that most people don't try at home. Skydiving _without a parachute_." 

Percy's eyes widened in horror, the helicopter began to rise in the air, the large blades rhythmically slicing air. "No, no, no! You can't do this! You don't want to do this!" The prospect of free falling through the air, reliving that horrible day...that  _terrified_ him. They were gaining altitude, rising faster and faster. "Surely this is against some sort of code? Don't you have morals?"

A kick to the ribs silenced him for a second, but he kept talking anyways.

"Please, please don't do this to me!" Percy Jackson  _begged_  and normally he was above ever begging for anything  but now...no now...this was enough to make him crack. Percy Jackson was broken, a shell of trembling limbs left behind. "Y-you know what happened that day. Please! If there is any shred of humanity in you then-" _  
_

He never got to finish his sentence. One of the soldiers, apparently done with trying Percy's attempts to negotiate, kicked him in the stomach and he fell from the helicopter, freefalling through the sky. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason had left Piper a few miles back. He followed the signal of Percy's tracking device. Because,  _yes_ , Jason Grace is smarter than the enemy took him for. The moment he'd grabbed onto Percy's leg, he'd pushed a small device into his hands, no bigger than a peanut. Percy still had it, which was good. The only problem? He was standing right where it said Percy should be, and there was _no Percy_. If he wasn't here, where was he? Jason fought down the rising panic, scanning the area. There were no enemy soldiers. Nothing close at all.   
  
That is, until he saw the other soldier rapidly descending through the air from thousands of miles up.

 


	4. Stay Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy watches his life flash before his eyes.  
> Jason regrets his choices. 
> 
> Do whatever just to stay alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd recommend listening to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvjNyJ8TBNk (Stay Alive by Jose Gonzalez)  
> Just because that's the one I was listening to as I described Percy's freefall... and I selfishly named the title of this chapter after this song. It was also because of lack of inspiration. Whatever, it fits.
> 
> [The next chapter is actually kind of an epilogue. It mostly recounts how they got out of the jungle, and leaves an open door to their friendship starting.]

He's lost sense of everything around him, the air in his lungs is caught and he chokes, his eyes won't open and he can't see. The world's gone shallow, dark and twisted. Percy's floundering his limbs, striking wildly but hitting nothing.  _This_ is his worst fear not his own death, but the consequences that could follow. Percy doesn't think himself a hero, he never has. But if he dies, he won't be around to protect his friends. He can't get back to his girlfriend. He can't get back to help Jason. 

He's reliving Grover's death all over again, falling, falling, endless falling. A tear slips from his eye, trekking down his face before being whipped away into the sky. The wind savagely tears at his arms and legs, ripping at his clothes and stinging his cheeks. He can't hear his own screaming- he isn't even sure if he is screaming-, can hardly feel anything, and it terrifies him. Percy can't describe the feeling, the feeling of falling thousands of miles and knowing when you hit earth, that's it. End of story. Knowing the clock on your life was ticking, knowing that in less than a minute you would no longer be alive.

His mind slips, wanting to be anywhere but here, and he welcomes it.

_'I'll never let you go Grover! Never!'_

_'LET GO OF ME PERCY!'_

Percy's crying freely now, letting every thought he'd previously prevented from entering his mind run free. His girlfriend, running to meet him when he came home from being overseas. Eating blue meals with his mom, laughing over corny jokes on laffy taffy wrappers. The first day he met Grover in kindergarten, playing warriors in the sandbox together. Growing up with him, fighting with him, befriending him. They'd had the best stories, coming up with majestic tales of centaurs and monsters. Stories of heroes and damsels in distress. When they grew up they'd joined the army together, letting the stories come to life.  _'We can be heroes Percy! We can help serve our country! It's what we always wanted- just think of the stories they'll tell about us! Jackson and Underwood, the greatest soldiers in history!'_

Percy sobbed, a full body-racking  _sob_. He tries to open his eyes, tries to see what's going on but he doesn't really want to. A part of him doesn't want to be watching the ground when he dies. He doesn't want to see. The logical part of him tells him to quit flailing and put out his arms so his clothing can catch the wind. He slowly unfurls himself, not realizing he'd curled up into a ball, and shuts his eyes even more tightly. No tears escape, no sounds of desperation. He takes a deep breath, braces himself and lets himself go willingly. 

He lands with solid impact, crashing into the ground at full speed. Dust and dirt flies into the air. A sickening crack can be heard, and pain shoots through Percy, not unlike a lightning bolt. He waits, quivering and nauseous. His head slams into the dirt beneath him and he groans in pain. The world is quiet, and when he opens his eyes everything is black at first. Is this what it was like to be dead? Then, slowly, light filters into his vision. Blearily, he sits up, unfocused and confused. Why isn't he dead? He looks around. 

His body is beneath him. He is sitting on his own body. 

Percy gasps, shuffles backwards with his arms and trips over himself. His ghostly body shakes profusely and his eyes are wide with horror.

Jason is bent over his body, checking for pulse, little choked noises coming from his mouth. How had Jason gotten here? Percy stares uncomprehendingly at his body and the other soldier. He wishes he could say something, maybe comfort the other boy, but he can't seem to do anything except stare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason had run straight back into the jungle, leaving the open ground, and started tearing at the branches madly, ripping and shredding and pulling and tugging. He breaks branches, slices them off and gathers the largest amount of leaves in the shortest amount of time ever recorded.  _Percy._  Slash with knife. _Percy._  Rips off leaves from tree. _Must_ _save Percy._ Runs back to where the tracker estimated Percy would land.

He spreads out the leaves, praying to anyone that might be listening.  _Oh gods, oh gods PLEASE..._

Jason isn't a fool. He knows it isn't enough. Any rational human being would know that a couple of leaves spread on the ground wouldn't be enough. But he can't let go without a fight. 

Percy  comes closer and closer into view, his arms and legs spread out, the wind is catching in the folds of his clothing. Clever boy. He lands almost in slow motion, debris and dust shooting up in the air in one large grey cloud.  _"PERCY!"_ His name is tumbling from his lips as he rushes to his side, pushes his partner's body onto his back and checks for a pulse. "Come on, come on! Wake up! WAKE UP!" 

Percy does not move, but Jason feels a glimmer of hope. His pulse is faint and barely there but  _it's there._

Jason knows he should move him, try to carry him to safety just as Percy did for him when he was injured. But he can't bring himself to do it. The risk of moving the other soldier could easily kill him before they would b able to seek out medical attention. He briefly thinks of Piper, but he left her a good few miles back. Night falls, and the air feels charged. It's cold, though each day has been scorchingly hot. The stars provide barely enough light to see by. He considers once more finding Piper, but the idea of leaving Percy alone makes him forgo that thought once again. He can hear the growls of strange animals, gleaming eyes lurking in the night. The slithering of snakes and rustles of the unfamiliar. He finds a dislocated bone in Percy's leg and with after a moment of hesitation sets it back into place. The brown haired soldier doesn't even twitch.

Jason keeps his eyes trained on Percy, laying a finger on his wrist to check his pulse every so often, scanning for any different signs. Percy's eyelids flutter once- or maybe it was his imagination. Jason looks at the other, awkwardly, then adjusts himself so he's comfortable. "I...I'm not good with friends Percy. I never had a friend, unless you count Director Lupa, who kidnapped me at age five. But...I guess since I'm not leaving you there's somethings a man can't leave unknown." He clears his throat, glancing down at the fallen soldier before continuing. "Percy Jackson, partner, soldier, ally. I've kept a lot from you during this mission, and it wasn't fair of me. And so...because I regret everything that's happened these past five days...I can't keep you from the truth anymore. You've got to know what's going on in my head. I'm a spy. It isn't like the thoughts of the man who lies. There is a truth and it's on our side...I just...nothing mattered to me except getting my job done. That's what I do. I go in, get information or fulfill my purpose and I'm out." 

It may have been Jason's imagination, but he could have sworn he saw Percy's finger twitch. 

"I haven't been very honest with you, and I'm sorry about that. You didn't do anything wrong, in fact- you were probably the nicest anyone has ever been to me. You didn't give up on me, even when I wasn't being the most pleasant person to be around. I'm not giving up on you, Percy. Do you know what my commanding officers would say if I let their golden boy get killed? They'd probably beat the crap out of me. I heard you were always protective of others, so I'm sure you would never let that happen." Jason glances down at the other's face before going on, "I heard a lot of things about you. I'm only a year younger, but I grew up with your name being spoken all the time. People whispered it, in hushed tones full of awe, and I I didn't really get it then, but I get it now. Tales of your bravery and fierce loyalty echoed around me all my life, and I figured everyone was being dramatic. In fact, I actually came to hate the name "Percy Jackson." It was always "did you hear what Percy did?" and I guess...I guess part of me was jealous. Sure, I hated Lupa, but I suppose I just wanted someone to acknowledge my talents. No one ever said "Jason Grace" with reverence and I think that's why I hated you so much."

He ended up telling Percy about his entire life, recounting the endless hours of training Lupa put him through. How many people she ordered him to kill at age nine. How many times he obeyed, and what happened when he didn't. He shed the burden of his lies and false identities, turning over his cover of being 'a great soldier'. He wasn't, he told Percy. "I'm not a good man, and I know that. Some people can't be fixed after they've been broken. But it's not too late for you. I know you can come back from this. I won't give up on you...because even though I've been less than pleasant to you this entire mission, you never once gave up on me." He stayed with him the entire night, keeping predators and enemy soldiers away. Nothing tried to approach the pair. He left once to get Percy some water, dripping it from some leaves into his cupped hands and holding it over the other boy's mouth. The rest of the time, he stayed and prayed.

"O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer, please set angels over me to keep me in all Your ways, to bear me up in their hands and to keep my feet from stumbling. Father God, help me to tread upon the lion and adder and trample the young lion and the dragon under my feet... for Percy Jackson is my partner, soldier, ally, and friend." 

_I will stay with you tonight_  
_Hold you close 'til the morning light_  
_In the morning watch a new day rise_  
_We'll do whatever just to stay alive_

_Dawn is coming_  
_Open your eyes_  
_Look into the sun as the new days rise_

Just as the sun rose over the top of the forest, Percy inhaled through his nose deeply. Jason immediately crouched at his side, eyes wide and full of concern. 

Percy gave him a lopsided grin, which was cut short with a grimace. Jason knew he was hiding pain, but the other was doing a good job of masking it. Before Jason could ask him how he felt, Percy smiled again before saying evenly: "Jason Grace, partner, soldier, ally, friend." 


	5. Partner, Soldier, Ally, Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue   
> {Super short and not even worth the read really}

Five months.

Five months, since the the life changing adventure in the Amazon jungle.

Five months, since Jason had quit the agency and gone to be a full-time soldier, and had rescued Percy after Piper called in a few favors from her village.

Five months since Percy Jackson became his friend. 

Five months of blissful companionship. Jason knew he'd started out on a bumpy road, full of twists and turns. He thought he was broken beyond repair, thought that nobody could fix him. With Percy and Piper and eventually more people, he realized he wasn't as alone in this world as he'd felt. Life wasn't about the missions, the goals, the schedules. It wasn't about getting beat down, withered and worn by the winds of life. 

No.

Life, Jason realized, was about not being alone. Life was about enjoying the ride with people you care about, about taking the obstacles and knowing that  _if_ he fell, there would always be someone there to catch him.

Jason Grace, for the first time since he was five years old, was truly and genuinely happy. 

Life, Jason realized, is good. 

 

{The End}

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all reading this! 
> 
> This is actually one of my longer fics, and first one here. I don't usually go into chapters this long, or if I do I lose interest and stuff. So that's why I made sure I completed 5/5 so I consider that a big accomplishment by finishing! Even though this one was super super short... BUT it had a good moral.
> 
> So guys, no matter how lost you are, your going to find someone who cares about you, if it's in a loving relationship, best friend way, mom/dad, siblings, or religion or any of that! LIFE IS GOOD


End file.
